


New Friends

by Kariachi



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Because we've got like none, Friendship, Fucking Slurpstack I mean really, Gen, I wrote this like two days after the episode aired, Let my babies have friends, Reboot Fic, Slurpstack's name is Desmond because I said so, old fic, so don't count on canon-compliance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 08:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16699243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kariachi/pseuds/Kariachi
Summary: Of all the things Kevin had expected to find when he broke into the warehouse, this wasn't evenclose...





	New Friends

“Hey there, big guy…”

Kevin had known within a day that something was being stashed here, and that it wasn’t what everyone was being told it was. News travelled fast, especially if you had contacts. Not that Kevin had many, but there were a handful of people he didn’t completely distrust and out of them he could generally get some idea of what was going on. This warehouse had too much security for the chairs it supposedly held, they said. It had been stocked at night. There’d been Feds involved. Of course he’d had to come investigate.

It had been almost insulting how easy it had been for him to get inside.

And now he was stuck staring in awe.

“Candy?” Kevin started when the thing spoke, it’s big red eyes fixed right on his padlock. He blanched.

“No,” he said, immediately hustling to slip the accessory under his shirt, “no, I don’t have any candy.” The creature grumbled in clear disappointment, appearing to pout, and Kevin chewed his lip as he looked it over. It was a vibrant purple, with paler markings, red spikes, and way too many legs. Worse, it was massive. Each of it’s eight smaller forelegs alone was likely heavier than him, being over twice as wide and easily up to his nose, and it’s hindlegs would’ve made any bull go white with fear. They were keeping it in a cage, and chains besides, that had all been given a matte finish. Not that he could blame them for not taking chances, those teeth were _huge_.

Gills flapping, it let out a pitiful, low whine.

Something in Kevin broke at just how _lonely_ the noise was.

“I can get you candy though,” he found himself saying, stepping forward as the creature perked up. “But only if you behave.” It watched him as he came closer, rolling onto it’s feet.

“Candy.” Kevin thought of his powers, of how easy it would be, and the hopeful look on this poor thing’s face, and smiled.

“But only if you’re good,” he said, and began looking for a lock.

~~

“Did you behave?” Kevin didn’t even get through the doorway before asking, quickly scanning the ruined basement for any signs of additional damage. It had already taken a serious amount of finagling to get the creature out of that warehouse, and then to find and get it to this place, he didn’t need for it to come down and alert the whole city to where they were. But there was no damage and he couldn’t help a grin at the way his new friend’s face brightened when he came in.

“Candy!” He laughed.

“Yes, candy-” he waved the bag in his hand for emphasis, “-since you’ve been so good.” Kevin vaulted onto a crate, settling in and gesturing for the creature to do the same. There were a few shaky minutes as it figured that out, and got itself settled facing him, but eventually it figured it out and it was just too cute in the process.

“I got a couple different types,” he said when they were both in place, “so we can figure out what kind you like best. How about we start wi-” Suddenly a hot pink tongue wrapped around the bag, wrenching it from Kevin’s grip and pulling it into the creature’s mouth. He stared, slackjawed.

“Fucking rude!” It just purred and looked at him expectantly.

“Candy?” Frowning, Kevin crossed his arms and stared it down.

“No more candy, that was _bad_.” There came another whine, this one less pitiful. He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Besides, if you eat too much candy you’ll get sick.” That stopped it. It closed it’s eyes and shivered, as if reliving a bad memory, and rolled onto it’s side.

“No candy,” it rasped decisively. Kevin couldn’t help the small smile that returned to his face, or how the tension left his narrow shoulders. He hopped off the crate and went to sit against the creature’s tail.

“That’s right,” he said. “Gotta try to have a good diet, or you’ll get sick like I do. We’ll try to find you some vegetables tomorrow. Maybe some cabbage, that’s easy to scrounge up.” There was a slight rumble as it cracked open an eye and twisted to peer at him curiously.

“Ca-bage?” Snickering, he patted it’s tail.

“You just ate a plastic bag, there’s no way you’re getting to complain about cabbage.” Still smiling, he stretched, leaned back, and closed his eyes. “So, you got a name or…?” It let out another curious rumble, then was silent for a moment.

“Ca-bage?” This time Kevin was the one cracking an eye open, mouth wide as if to speak. After a wordless moment, he shook his head.

“I’m just gonna call you Desmond,” he said, then settled back in, “and I’m Kevin. Goodnight, Desmond.”

“…Dez-mond…”


End file.
